New pin

[jani3]

Funny story. When I called today I got the exact same TM as I talked to Friday. I recognized her voice and she said she remembered me as well. Maybe their call center is smaller than I think, but that would sure never happen calling Disney!!

That's happened to me with Disney a couple of weeks ago. I called on a Friday afternoon to get a quote, didn't book it or put a hold on it. I discussed it with my husband over the weekend. Then I called back on Monday afternoon and got the same person. I remembered her, wrote down her name from the Friday call and she remembered me too.

 

[Bluer101]

Bluer you're one of the most helpful members of the Darkside section, I would love to buy you a drink at the pool bar one evening!

It's just the wife and I this trip and we have no specific plan. We're going to just take it as it comes, so shouldn't be a problem to work around your schedule one night for a drink. Would have loved to go to the DIS event Dec 5th, but it's already sold out.

I appreciate the kind words. There are plenty of helpful people on the darkside. We all learn and share here.

Hey, no specific plan is how we roll, Gru term. Would love a drink but we are really not drinkers, maybe a handful a year.

No plans for trips yet except HHN with homies, but I'm sure that will change on a monthly basis. We need to recoupe money from last week double stay. But if we go it would be Dec 4,5,6. That is the first weekend in Dec and the official start to Grinchmas.

meet up with bluer by all means.

he can show you the ropes easy so you can cover more ground for the entire time you will be there.

bluer is great to get you around the parks easily without missing a thing

I enjoy hanging with everyone and share the same interests. Hey, we are only a few months out to HHN, can't wait.

 

[saskdw]

I appreciate the kind words. There are plenty of helpful people on the darkside. We all learn and share here.

Hey, no specific plan is how we roll, Gru term. Would love a drink but we are really not drinkers, maybe a handful a year.

No plans for trips yet except HHN with homies, but I'm sure that will change on a monthly basis. We need to recoupe money from last week double stay. But if we go it would be Dec 4,5,6. That is the first weekend in Dec and the official start to Grinchmas.
.

I don't drink that much either. But we'll be there on those dates if you decide to go.

 

[macraven]

since neither of youse are drinkers, do what i would have.

i would toast anyone with a butter beer.

 

[disneyavonohio]

I still am not really understanding the big deal with the pin code--the price is the same as the stay more save more, is it not?

For those of you more familiar with YouFirst- We stayed at RPR in June for 3 nights, booked through Universal-so that is 1 trip. If I book an 8 night stay that counts as two- When I check in, will I show 3 visits or does the 3rd visit in the books after the trip?

What is the upgrade for Blue members at RPR? At PBR?

 

[Bluer101]

I still am not really understanding the big deal with the pin code--the price is the same as the stay more save more, is it not?

For those of you more familiar with YouFirst- We stayed at RPR in June for 3 nights, booked through Universal-so that is 1 trip. If I book an 8 night stay that counts as two- When I check in, will I show 3 visits or does the 3rd visit in the books after the trip?

What is the upgrade for Blue members at RPR? At PBR?

From the website.

YouFirst benefits and points awards are based on completion of a qualifying stay at participating Loews-branded Hotels. A qualifying stay is one at any standard rate published by the hotel.

You have to complete your stay and the credit will appear a few weeks after.

Blue status gets you a water view or bay view upgrade if avalible a check in. So you need to book a garden view to begin with then if there is a water/bay view you will be upgraded at check in only.

The pin code can be beneficial to some.

I used a code last week as a FL resident and got PBH for $144 a night for bay view and then I got my Platnium upgrade on top of that.

 

[macraven]

only thing i can add on to Bluer's info is that your stays are based on a 12 month set up.
each january you start over again to get credits and keep you at the youfirst level.

if you have 2 visits in one year and skip a year, you don't necessarily keep your level status of blue, gold, platinum

 

[macraven]

noticed i missed part of op's question

blue level members staying at rpr can book a standard room and the upgrade would be to standard room water view.
but, blue level can only qualify for the free upgrade at time of check in.
if no water views are available at that time, they stay in the standard room.

 

[Bluer101]

only thing i can add on to Bluer's info is that your stays are based on a 12 month set up.
each january you start over again to get credits and keep you at the youfirst level.

if you have 2 visits in one year and skip a year, you don't necessarily keep your level status of blue, gold, platinum

Its a rolling 12 month not January.

From the website.

Qualification for Membership Levels will be determined based on a rolling 12-month cycle, beginning July 15th, 2008 (the YouFirst Program Launch Date). Meaning, a Member must stay at a Loews property 2 times within any 12-month period following 7/15/08 to earn Blue status, 5 times within any 12-month period following 7/15/08 to earn Gold status, and 10 times within any 12-month period following 7/15/08 to earn Platinum status.

If a Member does not earn enough qualifying stays during the 12 months following a change in status to progress to the next level of membership or to maintain the Member’s existing level of membership, the Member will be downgraded to the next-lower level of membership on the 1-year anniversary of that change in status (12 months after earning status). For example, if a Member earns Gold status on October 1, 2008, but does not qualify for Gold status as of September 30, 2009 (has not had at least 5 qualifying stays in the most recent 12 months), that Member would be downgraded to Blue status as of October 1, 2009.

Benefits will also be provided on a rolling 12-month schedule. Per the example above, the Member would begin enjoying Gold benefits as soon as he earned Gold status on October 1, 2008 and would continue to enjoy those benefits for the following 12 months, until September 30, 2009. If, at that time, he has not had at least 5 qualifying stays in the most recent 12 months, the Member would be downgraded to Blue status and begin enjoying Blue-level benefits for the following 12 months.

So if you stay say 5 times in the next year you will become gold. From the day you get your gold status you need to stay atleast 5 more times in the next 12 months to keep that gold status. If you don't then you are downgraded to the next level. It's always based on 12 months from receiving a new status.

 

[saskdw]

I still am not really understanding the big deal with the pin code--the price is the same as the stay more save more, is it not?

?

For our 10 night Stay this Dec it was the same as SMSM at HRH, but cheaper at RPR and PBH.

 

[Bluer101]

I just got another pin for FL resident for PBH up until Aug 15 for $144 a night. I guess I'm booking another trip.

 

[macraven]

it's changed again??

i had to call 6 weeks ago as my last year stay wasn't credited.

the Loews youfirst employee told me it was not an issue as they counted the calendar year starting january for my credits.

btw, my stay was finally credited but took a few days to be reflected in my account.

 

[mayesq]

I got the pin code email today. We have 2 nights reserved at PBH for $299 per night with the Florida Resident Rate (weekend rate). With the code the rate went down to $169 a night. So, I decided to upgrade to a deluxe room for $214 a night. Super excited. We haven't been to Universal for two years.

 

[disneyavonohio]

Thanks everyone for answering.

Has anyone tried Loews Best Rate Guarantee: https://www.loewshotels.com/brg-en.html
Would they match an Orbitz/Cheaptickets? They don't seem to be disqualified based on verbiage.

 

[macraven]

Thanks everyone for answering.

Has anyone tried Loews Best Rate Guarantee: https://www.loewshotels.com/brg-en.html
Would they match an Orbitz/Cheaptickets? They don't seem to be disqualified based on verbiage.

The Loews Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to the following conditions:

any rates from opaque providers including, but not limited to, Priceline.com or Hotwire.com.

The Loews Best Rate Pledge does not apply to group, negotiated, non-published rate, package, third party Internet rates


i copied that from the link you provided.
sounds like Loews best rate wouldn't apply to orbitz/cheaptickets.

 

[Bluer101]

Damn you Universal and Loews making me spend money!!!!


I booked a few more rooms just now for August 1 and second.

I booked a King Bayview Portonfino Suite for $169. (Platnium upgraded too!)

Then I booked a King Bayview for $169 too for my folks.

 

[disneyavonohio]

The Loews Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to the following conditions:

any rates from opaque providers including, but not limited to, Priceline.com or Hotwire.com.

The Loews Best Rate Pledge does not apply to group, negotiated, non-published rate, package, third party Internet rates


i copied that from the link you provided.
sounds like Loews best rate wouldn't apply to orbitz/cheaptickets.

Which section would you put Orbitz/Cheaptickets? They are not opaque, group or non-published. They are third party internet I guess?--so I guess that leads to the question--then when they heck DO they price match..they pretty much eliminated all options.

 

[macraven]

Which section would you put Orbitz/Cheaptickets? They are not opaque, group or non-published. They are third party internet I guess?--so I guess that leads to the question--then when they heck DO they price match..they pretty much eliminated all options.

in the early part of this year, there was some discussion about the guaranteed best price from loews.
can't remember the poster or date but they told how they tried to get the price match with a 3rd party vendor and was turned down.
it sounded like a strong case but it turned out Loews considered it invalid to match.

in a different board, read the same thing of different sites not being valid for the price guarantee.
if i can locate those threads, i'll post it here.
i just can't remember off the top of my head.

but, i tend to think it was someone trying to match something that was named on the list of excluded sources.

the online travel agencies such as orbitz/cheaptickets might have been the ones that was discussed earlier this year.


with the disclaimer of what is not accepted, i have no idea what loews considers valid rates for their best guarantee policy.

 

[Bluer101]

Which section would you put Orbitz/Cheaptickets? They are not opaque, group or non-published. They are third party internet I guess?--so I guess that leads to the question--then when they heck DO they price match..they pretty much eliminated all options.

I also found this.

If you find a lower rate on another website other than loewshotels.com within 24 hours of making your reservation, we will be happy to adjust your rate to the lower rate you found.* Simply call us at 1-800-235-6397 and we'll make things right by honoring the lower rate on the spot.

 

[PMart]

I got the new email code today and was able to keep my club level room and get a better discount went from 379 to 254 a night. I almost cried, I explained that is was my 20th anniversary trip. I am so ready for August

PMart